Hand pump for greases, etc.



W. P. VALENTINE HAND PUMP FOR GREASES,

am, 2, lg3d.

ETC

Filed Sept. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l A AMM .ilu e Jan. 2, 1934. w. P.VALENTINE HAND PUMP FOR GREASES,

ETC

Filed Sept. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jana 2,` 1934 UNTE STTEHAND PUMP FOR GREASES, ETC.

Sylvania Application September' 28, 1931 Serial Ne. 565,677

10 Claims.

The invention relates to a pump, for delivering grease, oil or the like,herein conventionally called grease, usually to different parts ofautomobiles or similar mechanisms, and with more particular reference toa rotary hand pump of the character indicated.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a pump of the characterindicated, adapted to easy and inexpensive manufacture and well suitedto the needs of service.

A further purpose is to rigidly mount a grease delivery pump on asupport adapted to function as a lid of a commercial grease container,and adapted to replace the normal lid of the container during the use ofthe container by a customer as a source of grease.

A further purpose is to provide a ball ratchet connection between anoperating shaft and the operating handle of a grease delivery pump,which is mounted upon a grease container, permitting the handle to beset at any angle with respect to the shaft before operating the pump.

A further purpose is to locate the operating shaft of an eccentric rotorpump element inside a grease discharge pipe from the pump and to locatethe pump at the bottom of a container which is to be emptied.

A further purpose is to provide a pump of the character indicated foreasy mounting upon the different commercial grease containers, with therotor element of the pump normally submerged in grease, and inside andnear the bottom of the container.

A further purpose is to mount a rotor element of a pump of the characterindicated upon. an adjustably telescoping drive shaft and inside anadjustably telescoping discharge tube from the pump element, permittingan easy adjustment of the position of the pump element with respect to ahousing of pump operating mechanism, and thereby adapting the pump toreadily cooperate with grease containers of different depths, saidhousing being desirably mounted on a cover interchangeably carried bythe different containers.

A further purpose is to admit the discharge pressure to the rear facesof the blades of a rotor pump element of the character indicated,preferably also spring pressing the blades outwardly. A further purposeis to mount a meter element upon the outlet side of a housing memberwhich forms part of an oil delivery conduit, and a rotor pump elementupon the inlet side thereof at the lower end of a discharge tube fromthe pump element.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to illustrate one only of the different forms of myinvention, showing however a modification with respect to details andselecting a main form and a modification thereof that are practical andefficient in operation and which well illustrate the principlesinvolved.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation illustrating structureembodying a desirable form n, of my invention, mounted upon a greasecontainer.

Figure 2 is a right-side elevation of a portion of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail sections taken upon the lines3-3, Ll-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, and 8 8 respectively of Figure 1, looking inthe directions of the corresponding arrows..

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section corresponding to a portion of Figure 1showing a lid member V75 with an opening that is closed, with pumpmechanism in Figure 1 closed by a normal cover in Figure 9.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a pump structure, similar to that ofFigure 1 but modified with4 re- 80 spect to details.

Figure 11 is a right side elevation of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal vertical sectionof Figure 10 taken on theline 12-12 thereof looking in the direction of the arrows. ,85

Like numerals refer to vlike parts in all iigures.'

Describing in illustration and not inlimitation and referring to thedrawings:-

The rotary pump is intended to be used on, and as a unit with the topsor covers of commercial grease containers, the pump mechanism beingmounted interchangeably on different containers optionally to be shiftedfrom one container to another when the one container becomes empty. 95

In Figure 1 the pump mechanism 15 is rigidi mounted upon a support 16that functions as a lid for a grease container 17, and is preferably forinterchangeable use on different commercial containers.

The lids of the commercial grease containers may be provided each withan opening 18 (Fig,- ure 9) normally closed by a cover 19,-the opening18 being of size to adapt the pump mechanism 15 to be mounted on the lidinterchangeably with the cover. More usually the same lid may supportthe pump mechanism upon any number of successive containers whiletemporarily replacing the normal lids thereof.

A central housing 20 of the pump mechanism 110 yso has a downwardlydirected grease inlet 21, a discharge outlet 22 and a shaft opening 23.

The grease inlet 21 is flanged at 24 so that it may be secured to thetop surface of the lid 16, and carries a .downwardly extending tube 25that supports and forms an upward discharge tube for a rotor pumplocated near the bottom of the container.

As illustrated the tube 25 fits within the inlet 21 and is welded insidethe bore of a ring 26. The latter is attached to flange 24 by screws 27and the flange 24 is fastened to the cover by screws 16.

The pipe 25 thus rigidly connects at its upper end into the inlet of thehousing and an adjustment is provided to fit different depths of cans,permitting variation of the distance between the housing and rotor pumpat the lower end. The pipe 25 between the pump element and housing inletis longitudinally telescopic with respect to the discharge connectionfrom the rotor pump. This connection includes a pipe 28 that is rigidlyconnected to the discharge end of the body 29 of the rotor pump andupwardly closely nts over and is adapted to telescope along the lowerportion of the pipe 25.

The pipe 28 fastens at its lower end into the bore of a ange or gland 30which is in turn rigidly fastened to the discharge end of the body 29 ofthe rotor pump. Studs 3l are screwed at their lower ends into the bodyof the pump, pass ing through perforations of the lower gland 30 andnuts 32 on these studs clamp the gland to the body.

The studs 31 extend upwardly on opposite sides of the pipe 28 through abinding gland 33 at `the upper end of the pipe 28 and when this gland 33is tightened downwardly upon the upper end of the pipe 28 by suitablenuts 34 on the upper threaded ends of the studs the inner annular wedgesurface 35 of the binding gland tightly Y compresses the upper end ofthe pipe 28 on to the outside of the pipe 25, and holds the pipes 25.and 28 as a unit.

The rotor pump includes a hollow body 29 having preferably a circularinterior, and a rotor element 36 inside the body with ends sealingagainst the body and provided with blades 37 movable inwardly andoutwardly in Vdiagonal slots 38. The blades 37 are shown spring pressedat 39 to maintain continuous sealing engagement at their outer edgeswith the interior of the body.

The rotor element 36 is xedly mounted upon a shaft 40 which has bearingsupport at 41 in a bottom plate 42 of the body, and a bearing support atthe upper end of the rotor in a sleeve 43 carried by the upper end wallof the body.

The body 29 is provided with an inlet port at 44 and an outlet port at45 to a delivery chamber 46 that discharges upwardly into thetelescoping pipes.

The upper end of the rotor shaft is squared at 47 to t inside the lowerend of a square driving tube 48 to which it is pinned at 49. rThe upperend of the driving tube 48 receives a downwardly projecting square driveshaft 50 that makes a sliding t with the square interior of the drivetube 48 and at its upper end carries a bevel pinion 51 which meshes witha bevel gear 52 upon an inner end of an operating shaft 53 passingthrough the shaft opening of the housing.

The operating shaft 53 passes outwardly through a stung box 54 and apacking gland 55, and carries a handle 56 for operating the pump.

The operating connection between the crank handle 56 and shaft 53desirably includes a ballratchet mechanism which adapts the crank handleto be set to any angular position without affecting the pump, and thento be operated through any and very small ranges of angular movement, afeature of the invention that is sometimes particularly desirable whenoperating clearances are small, or when a small quantity or a veryaccurate amount of lubricant is required to be delivered.

As illustrated in Figure 7, ratchet balls 57 loosely t bores 58 withinthe hub of the crank handle and are pressed to ratchet engagement withthe shaft by springs 59 held to their duty by suitable screws 60 in theouter ends ofthe bores 58.

The square shaft 50 carries an externally circular sleeve 6l adjacentthe pinion 51 (see Figure 3), the sleeve 61 journaling the shaft in abearing 62 longitudinally ported at 63 to provide conduit connectionbetween the interior of the pipe 25 and the interior of the housing.

The blades 37 of the rotor are illustrated as resiliently pressedoutwardly in their slots by springs 39. These springs are seated attheir inner ends in suitable bores or recesses 64 in the rotor, and attheir outer ends against the ends 65 of the blades (Figure 5).

Pressure connection is provided between the interior edges of the bladesand the discharge side of the pump. As illustrated the interior of thebody is circularly grooved upwardly at 66 in position to register withthe slots 38 inwardly of the blades 37 and suitable holes 67 connectthese grooves with the delivery chamber 46 at the upper end of the pump.

The housing 20 finds outlet through a flexible grease deliveryconnection 68 shown, which may terminate in a spring-controlled deliverynozzle. The flexible connection 68 may connect into the housing from alateral opening 69 as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 or may lead fromthe discharge side of a meter as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

The housing 20 has an opening 70 large enough to pass the bevel gear 52.In the form of Figures 1 and 2 this opening is a discharge opening to ameter 71 with a filter or screen 72 preferably placed over the opening7G and ahead of the meter.

As illustrated, the meter element is located inside a casing 73 and asthis meter element is not in itself a portion of the present inventionexcept in combination with the other parts of the invention it isbelieved to be unnecessary to describe it in any considerable detail.

A rotary inclined disc type of meter is shown with inlet at 74 anddelivery at 75. The rotary oscillation of the disc by reason of thepassage of the grease from the inlet at 74 to the outlet at 75 effects arotation of a shaft 76, which operates through suitable gearing 77, anindicator 78 and/or an integrator 79 showing the delivery of `greasethrough the meter.

Preferably the vhousing 20 is rmly but removably fastened to thecontainer 17 at the flange 24 and a suitable projecting handle 80 isprovided for carrying the pump and container as a unit to the locationat which the grease is to be used.

The longitudinally adjustable connection between the rotor pump and thehousing permits the pump to be placed substantially in the bottom of anycommercial container, irrespective of variant depths of the container.

If desired the container may be recharged with grease, or when empty,the pump unit may be transferred to another container with or without atransfer of the supporting lid.

In some cases the containers to be fitted may` all be of the sainedepth. In this event, the tube 25 between the pump element and thehousing and likewise the shaft will be non-adjustable, in that the addedexpense of making these connections adjustable will then be unnecessary.This is seen in Figures 10, 11 and 12.

It will be understood that the auxiliary meter, shown in Figures 1 and 2may also be dispensed with in that a user may approximately determinethe amount of delivery of grease by the number of rotations of theoperating shaft 53. In this event, the opening '70 may be closed by atight cover plate 81, as best seen in. Figures 11 and 12, the flexibleconnection to the housing being indicated at 68.

In the form of Figures 10 and 11 the adjustment of the height has beenomitted and a ange 82 at the lower end of the pipe 25 is bolted to thetop of the pump body, as by bolts or studs 83.

In either type of mechanism the pump is desirably supported on thegrease container, with the container and pump mechanism suitably handledas a unit.

In operation of the form of Figures 1 to 9, the depth of the container1'7 is rst ascertained and the relationship of the pump to the flange 24is adjusted and the pump is then locked in the ad justed position, sothat, when positioned, the pump will be located close to the bottom ofthe container. The cover cap 19 is then removed from a can filled withgrease, and the pinnp end 29 of the unit 15 is inserted through theopening, and forced down into the grease imtil the ange 24 rests uponthe top 16. Screws are then placed about the flange and screwed into thetop 16 to hold the unit rigidly in place and at the same time seal theopening 18.

With the unit thus secured, a few turns ofy the crank handle 56 are nowmade in order to force the content upward through the tube 25, and intothe meter, so that the meter will be ready to indicate as soon as.grease starts outward through the delivery pipe 68.

The turning of the crank 56 imparts motion to the shaft 53 through theball ratchet mechanism illustrated in Figure '7, causing the bevel gear52 and pinion 51 to move and rotate the square shaft 50 and thence thesquare tube 48, to which the pump rotorV 36 is atached.

The rotor, being eccentric within its casing 29, creates a crescentshaped opening (when viewed in sectional plan) and the rotor blades 37as they advance are successively and gradually forced outward by theaction of springs 39, assisted by the pump pressure admi ted through theopenings 67, against the wall of the casing 29. The blades 37 travelinto this crescent opening, following the casing wall until they areforced back into the rotor again against the expansion of the springs39.

The result of this action of the rotor within the pump is to create asuccession of pockets gradually increasing in area, and then as therotor turns to gradually decrease the area of the same pockets. Thestart of the formation of 'the pockets is opposite the opening 44 in theouter casing 29 of the pump, resulting in a quantity of grease beingdrawn into the beginning of the crescent by the action of the rotor asit passes the opening.

The grease is then carried forward until the pocket begins to decreasein area, at which time the blades have corne into registry with theopening 45 in the top of the casing, and the grease within the graduallydecreasing area is forced upward through the opening 46, up the tube 25,through the ports 63 and into the housing 20.

Each pocket formed by the eccentric rotor, the rotor blades and theconcentric casing, collecs its quota of grease and gradually forces itupwardly through the opening above. The rapid succession of theseactions causes a continuous flow of the grease, which follows the tube25 tc the housing 20, through the meier '71 and thence to its finaloutlet through the flexible connection 68.

When the pump has collected and delivered all the content which willflow to it, the screws in the iiange 24 are taken out and the unit 15 isremoved to a filled can.

In the design of the pump shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, no preliminaryadjusting is necessary, this pump being designed to t a can ofpredetermined size. Otherwise the operation of the pump itself isidentical with that just described, only that the grease is passeddirectly from the casing 20 to the flexible delivery pipe (S8-therebeing no meter present.

In View of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim cr particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying ihe structure shown, and I, therefore, claimall such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and. scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isr 1. In a grease pump of the characterindicated, a housing having a grease inlet and a grease outlet, an inlettube connected at its outlet end into the said grease inlet, anoperating shaft of non-circular section having an intermediate portionin the said grease inlet, bearings for the shaft at the housing endproviding grease passage between the shaf t and the bearings, a rotorpump mounted on the inlet end of the tube discharging into the tube anda drive shaft for the rotor pump having an upper non-circular portionfitting the non-circular section ci the operating shaft, said driveshaft comprising operative connection between the pump and shaft throughthe tube.

2. In a grease pump of the character indicated, a housing having agrease inlet, a grease outlet and a shaft inlet, a telescopable inlettube connected at its outlet end into the grease inlet, an operatingshaft having an intermediate portion in the shaft inlet, a rotor pumpmounted on the inlet end of the tube discharging into the tube andoperative connection between the pump and shaft having a telescopeportion inside the tube.

3. In a grease pump of the character indicated, a housing having agrease inlet, a grease outlet and a shaft inlet, an inlet tube connectedat its outlet end info the grease inlet, a second tube telescoping overthe lower portion of the first, a clamp holding the tubes in adjustedtelescoped position, an operating shaft having an intermediate portionin the shaft inlet, a rotor pump mounted on and discharging into thelower end of the second tube and operative connection between the pumpand shaft having a telescope portion inside the tubes.

Ll. In a grease pump of the character indicated, a housing having agrease inlet, a grease outlet and a shaft inlet, an inlet tube connectedat its outlet end into the grease inlet, a second tube telescoping overthe lower portion of the first, an operating shaft having anintermediate portion in the shaft inlet, a rotor pump mounted on anddischarging into the lower end of the second tube, operative connectionbetween the pump and shaft having a telescope portion inside the tubes,land a binding clamp adjustably compressing an upper portion of thesecond tube on to the rst tube.

5. A lid for interchangeable use upon a plurality of grease containers,a pipe of adjustable length having an upper portion rigidly connected tothe lid, a rotor pump beneath the lid on the lower end of the pipe,connection for the pump having longitudinal adjustment, a dischargefitting having an inlet receiving the upper end of the pipe, andoperating mechanism of the rotor inside the fitting and pipe andincluding noncircular slidingly engageable members connecting fordriving purposes and longitudinally adjustable.

6. A hand grease pump adapted for insertion into grease cans of variantdepth, comprising an operating mechanism intended to lie outside of thecan and terminating at its lower end in an upper pipe and rotary shaftof non-circular section, a lower pipe into which the upper pipetelescopes to make a discharge conduit system .through the pipes, agrease pumping unit with which the lower pipe connects and which isadapted to lie at the bottom of the can and a driving connection betweenthe operating member of the pumping unit and the shaft of noncircularsection within which the shaft is telescopically movable and which isrotated by said shaft.

7. In a grease pump, a hand-pumping element including a shaft and a gearturned by the shaft, a pump operating shaft, a gear at the upper endthereof engaging the first gear, a casing surrounding the gears, adischarge pipe for the grease leading into the casing and surroundingthe pump operating shaft, a bearing for the pump operating shaft Withinthe discharge pipe affording grease discharge passage between thebearing and the shaft and also between the bearing and the pipe, apumping unit including a body and a rotor and connections from thedischarge l pipe and pump operating shaft respectively to the pump bodyand rotor of the pumping unit Awhereby the pumping unit discharges fromthe casing through the pipe and through the passages inside and outsidethe bearing.

8. A pumping unit for use upon grease containers of variant depth,comprising a handoperating mechanism adapted to be located outside ofthe container, a cover adapted interchangeably to fit upon the tops ofthe different containers and rigidly united to the hand-operating unitto provide for transfer of the handoperating unit and cover fromcontainer to container, a rotary pump adapted to t into and lie near thebottom of the containers of different depths and telescoping connectionsbetween the hand-operating mechanism and the pump for operating the pumpand other telescoping connections surrounding the rst for carrying thedischarge therefrom out through the cover.

9. n a hand pump for pumping grease out of containers of variant height,a pump body, a pump rotor therein, a discharge pipe of adjustable lengthconnected with the body, a cover through which the discharge pipe passesand to which it is rigidly attached, the cover being removable from thecontainer and adapted for use on different containers, a driving shaftfor the rotor passing through the cover and having a non-circularsection through a portion of its length and a corresponding surroundingsection through another portion of its length providing telescopicadjustability of the length of the driving shaft, a casing to which thedischarge pipe is connected, an outlet pipe from said casing, gearing inthe casing connected to the drive shaft and hand-operating means forturning the gearing.

10. ln a hand pump for pumping grease out of containers of variantheight, a pump body, a pump rotor therein, a discharge pipe ofadjustable length connected with the body, a cover through Which thedischarge pipe passes and to which it is rigidly attached, the coverbeing removable from the container and adapted for use on differentcontainers, a driving shaft for the rotor passing through the cover andhaving a non-circular section through a portion of its length and acorresponding surrounding section through another portion of its lengthproviding telescopic adjustability of the length of the driving shaft, acasing to which the dis-i charge pipe is connected, an outlet pipe fromsaid casing, hand-operating means for turning the driving shaft,connections from the handoperating means to the driving shaft and a ballclutch in the connections.

WARREN P. VALENTINE.

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